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Posts Tagged ‘rip van winkle’

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pMark Johnston reports Sea Lord to be in tip-top condition ahead of his step up to Group One company in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes./p
pThe Cape Cross colt is enjoying a fantastic campaign with lucrative handicap wins at the Curragh, Newmarket and Goodwood, followed by a narrow success over weekend winner Poet’s Voice in Group Three company at Salisbury./p
pHe was supplemented for Saturday’s feature at a cost of 75,000 euros but his trainer is under no illusions about the task ahead as the three-year-old faces the prospect of tackling the likes of Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over./p
p”He’s in good form. We’ve done this a couple of times this year – supplemented horses for big races – and touch wood, he seems very well,” said Johnston./p
p”It’s a big leap for him and we can’t take it for granted that he is up to Group One level, but it seems the right progression for him at this stage. He had a number of targets but we decided on this one.”/p
pIt will also be Sea Lord’s first run beyond a mile this weekend but Johnston believes there is enough evidence to suggest the 10 furlongs will not be a problem./p
p”The breeding on his dam’s side suggests he could be better over a mile and a quarter and his style of running is very laid back,” the Middleham handler continued./p
p”Kieren Fallon rode him last time and he said he could be better over a mile and a quarter./p
p”He’s by Cape Cross and although he was a miler himself, we’ve seen he is capable of producing horses with stamina. He hasn’t raced on anything other than fast ground this year, but we know he’ll handle that fine.”/p
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Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to seeing Rip Van Winkle in action in Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Last year’s Sussex Stakes winner just failed in his bid to land back-to-back renewals of the one-mile feature at Glorious Goodwood when Canford Cliffs pounced late last month.

That was only his second start of the campaign after making his reappearance at Royal Ascot, also over a mile in the Queen Anne. He now steps back up to 10 furlongs, a distance he arguably put up a career-best effort over when second to Sea The Stars in the Eclipse last season.

“We were delighted with him in the Sussex. Obviously he started off at Ascot where he just got tired in the last half a furlong,” said O’Brien.

“We were happy with that and we’re looking forward to him having a second run. We thought he’d progress after his first run and we expect him to progress again.

“Everything has been good with him this year. We started him later this year but he went very well over the winter and so far everything has been good.

“The horse has always shown loads of speed, as he did again at Goodwood, but we felt as the year went on he would progress. He won’t mind dropping back to a mile if he ever needs to, but he’s a big cruiser and quickens very well.

“The only time he ran over a mile and a quarter last year was in the Eclipse where he ran very well. He’s very versatile. We thought he’d progressed after Ascot and we think he’s progressed since Goodwood, we are looking forward to seeing him run.”

Aidan O’Brien has yet to finalise running plans for the Juddmonte International at York next Tuesday.

With Harbinger out of the equation after suffering a career-ending leg injury, Rip Van Winkle is favourite across the boards for the Group One contest and the trainer is certainly eyeing up a trip to the Knavesmire.

Irish Derby winner Cape Blanco, a distant second behind Harbinger in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, is another Ballydoyle inmate under consideration for the race.

“We’re looking at the Juddmonte with both Rip Van Winkle and Cape Blanco but it hasn’t been decided whether we will run one or both,” said O’Brien.

“They are both in good form and ready to run, we’re just waiting for everyone to decide. It’s not definite by any means – we have the Juddmonte and then the Irish Champion a couple of weeks later.

“We’re looking at the Juddmonte with Rip Van Winkle – we’re hoping he’s going to turn up, we just haven’t confirmed it definitely with everyone yet.”

The main opposition appears to be the Khalid Abdullah-owned duo Byword and Twice Over.

The Prince’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said: “Last year we thought Byword was very good but he was affected by a virus and this year he has come on in leaps and bounds. There’s probably not a huge amount between him and Twice Over and it’s going to be fascinating.”

Twice Over’s trainer, Henry Cecil, added: “I’m hoping he’ll run very well. He’s in good form and there’ll be no excuses.”

Freddie Head has fired an ominous warning shot at Goldikova’s Queen Anne Stakes rivals by declaring his star mare to be in the form of her life.

Tuesday’s Royal Ascot curtain-raiser promises to be the race of the meeting with Goldikova being joined by brilliant Lockinge winner Paco Boy and dual Group One winner Rip Van Winkle, and Head’s five-year-old already has eight Group One successes to her credit.

The handler said: “She is in very good form and has arrived at Ascot. She travelled very well and we are looking forward to a very good race. I think she has improved since her first run of the year at Longchamp and she always does improve for her first run.”

He added: “The ground is going to be fast I hope and she loves a straight course, so I hope and think we can win. She is very well and I think she is better than ever.”

Rip Van Winkle has his first start since finishing down the field in the Breeders’ Cup Classic but he had previously won the Sussex Stakes and the QEII as well as finishing just a length behind wonder-horse Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien told At The Races: “He’s in good form but this is his first run of the season and we are a little bit worried as a lot of our horses have improved from their first run to their second run and their second run to their third.

“He’s as well as we could have him, but obviously it is a big championship race and ideally you would like to be going into it having got a run into him. We are very happy with him and he’s done very well since last year.

“He’s a stronger horse this year and you’re never sure until they run, but he’s been showing us all the right signs.

“Paco Boy and Goldikova are two exceptional horses and it’s a great race for everybody to look forward to.”

Paco Boy’s team are in confident mood ahead of Royal Ascot’s ‘race of the week’ – the Queen Anne Stakes.

Dual Breeders’ Cup Mile heroine Goldikova and Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle are preparing to take on the apple of Richard Hannon’s eye in what should be a thrilling contest.

His son and assistant Richard jnr told At The Races: “The Queen Anne looks like being the race of the week and hopefully they will all turn up and it will be a very good race. Goldikova is very good and she’ll be very hard to beat.”

He added: “I think Paco Boy is better this year, he seems to have improved but Goldikova is a champion and Paco Boy is not at that status yet.

“He does seem better this year than ever and if he’s ever going to beat her, it will be this year.

“There is still a very small chance we might have a look at the Golden Jubilee, but I would say that it is more than likely he’ll run in the Queen Anne. He’s very adaptable, he’s very fast.

“We need them all to meet for racing. Not that we need to build Royal Ascot up, but I imagine there will be a lot of people going just to see that race alone.”